Abstract In dogs, mammary cancer is the most common tumor type, especially in unspayed females. As in humans, this type of cancer has spontaneous development and is influenced by several risk factors, such as age and hormonal exposure in addition to genetic and epigenetic factors. Epigenetic mechanisms are responsible for gene expression modulation without alterations in the DNA sequence and include but are not limited to DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs. Epigenetic patterns are known to influence a variety of biological mechanisms, such as cellular differentiation and development, and dysregulations of those patterns may result in several diseases, such as cancer. In this respect, this review summarizes the main findings concerning epigenetic alterations in canine mammary cancer, their relationship with the carcinogenic process, and their use as diagnostic and prognostic markers.

RESUMO Objetivou-se analisar a satisfação dos usuários e a caracterização dos serviços de atendimento hospitalar e ambulatorial do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Realizou-se um estudo transversal analítico por meio de dados de usuários que responderam ao instrumento Carta SUS entre 2012 e 2013, no estado do Rio Grande do Norte, no qual foi avaliada a qualidade da estrutura física, da equipe de saúde e do tratamento ofertado. Dos 17.333 usuários que responderam à Carta SUS no período estudado, 62,3% eram mulheres e 62,4% tinham acima de 40 anos. A maior parte dos atendimentos (56,8%) foi realizada na capital e em serviços públicos (70,3%). Os usuários apresentaram-se satisfeitos com os serviços, com um percentual que variou de 79 a 90%, de acordo com as regiões de saúde. Os homens e as pessoas com mais de 60 anos avaliaram mais positivamente os serviços; a alta complexidade e os serviços da capital tiveram melhores resultados (p≤0,001), assim como as unidades privadas. Ressaltam-se a importância da avaliação em saúde e a relevância de se analisar, divulgar e dar continuidade ao instrumento Carta SUS, com vistas a subsidiar mais estudos e reflexões sobre a qualidade dos serviços.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to analyze user satisfaction and the characterization of the hospital and outpatient services of the Unified Health System (SUS). A cross-sectional analytical study was performed using user data that responded to the Carta SUS instrument between 2012 and 2013, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in which the quality of the physical structure, the health team and the treatment offered. Of the 17.333 users who answered the SUS Charter in the period studied, 62.3% were women and 62.4% were over 40 years old. Most of the attendances (56.8%) were held in the capital and in public services (70.3%). The users were satisfied with the services, with a percentage that ranged from 79 to 90%, according to the health regions. Men and people over 60 evaluated services more positively; the high complexity and the services of the capital had better results (p≤0.001), as well as the private units. The importance of health evaluation and the relevance of analyzing, disseminating and giving continuity to the SUS Charter instrument is emphasized, with a view to subsidizing further studies and reflections on the quality of services.

RESUMO Objetivou-se analisar a satisfação dos usuários e a caracterização dos serviços de atendimento hospitalar e ambulatorial do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Realizou-se um estudo transversal analítico por meio de dados de usuários que responderam ao instrumento Carta SUS entre 2012 e 2013, no estado do Rio Grande do Norte, no qual foi avaliada a qualidade da estrutura física, da equipe de saúde e do tratamento ofertado. Dos 17.333 usuários que responderam à Carta SUS no período estudado, 62,3% eram mulheres e 62,4% tinham acima de 40 anos. A maior parte dos atendimentos (56,8%) foi realizada na capital e em serviços públicos (70,3%). Os usuários apresentaram-se satisfeitos com os serviços, com um percentual que variou de 79 a 90%, de acordo com as regiões de saúde. Os homens e as pessoas com mais de 60 anos avaliaram mais positivamente os serviços; a alta complexidade e os serviços da capital tiveram melhores resultados (p≤0,001), assim como as unidades privadas. Ressaltam-se a importância da avaliação em saúde e a relevância de se analisar, divulgar e dar continuidade ao instrumento Carta SUS, com vistas a subsidiar mais estudos e reflexões sobre a qualidade dos serviços.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to analyze user satisfaction and the characterization of the hospital and outpatient services of the Unified Health System (SUS). A cross-sectional analytical study was performed using user data that responded to the Carta SUS instrument between 2012 and 2013, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in which the quality of the physical structure, the health team and the treatment offered. Of the 17.333 users who answered the SUS Charter in the period studied, 62.3% were women and 62.4% were over 40 years old. Most of the attendances (56.8%) were held in the capital and in public services (70.3%). The users were satisfied with the services, with a percentage that ranged from 79 to 90%, according to the health regions. Men and people over 60 evaluated services more positively; the high complexity and the services of the capital had better results (p≤0.001), as well as the private units. The importance of health evaluation and the relevance of analyzing, disseminating and giving continuity to the SUS Charter instrument is emphasized, with a view to subsidizing further studies and reflections on the quality of services.

Abstract Gastric cancer (GC) remains one of the main causes of cancer-related death worldwide. There are two distinct histological types of GC: diffuse and intestinal. The latter is characterized by the presence of pre-neoplastic lesions. One of the most frequently altered enzymes in intestinal GC is COX-2, an important lesion marker. This work aimed to study COX-2 methylation and expression in N-methyl-N-Nitrosurea (MNU)-induced intestinal GC in six Sapajus apella animals. The partial promoter sequence of S. apella COX-2 gene was obtained and used to identify transcription factors and cis-regulatory element binding sites. The COX-2 methylation pattern was assessed using Methylation-Specific PCR (MSP), and expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHQ). A total of 20 samples were obtained. A 675 bp fragment of the S. apella COX-2 promoter region was obtained, and it was 99.2% and 68.2% similar to H. sapiens and S. boliviensis, respectively. Similar to humans, several transcription factors and cis-regulatory element binding sites were identified in the S. apella sequence. MSP revealed that all samples were methylated. However, IHQ results demonstrated positive COX-2 expression in all pre-neoplastic and tumoral samples. The results suggest that the analyzed fragment is not crucial in COX-2 regulation of GC in S. apella.

The 18S rDNA phylogeny of Class Armophorea, a group of anaerobic ciliates, is proposed based on an analysis of 44 sequences (out of 195) retrieved from the NCBI/GenBank database. Emphasis was placed on the use of two nucleotide alignment criteria that involved variation in the gap-opening and gap-extension parameters and the use of rRNA secondary structure to orientate multiple-alignment. A sensitivity analysis of 76 data sets was run to assess the effect of variations in indel parameters on tree topologies. Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony phylogenetic analyses were used to explore how different analytic frameworks influenced the resulting hypotheses. A sensitivity analysis revealed that the relationships among higher taxa of the Intramacronucleata were dependent upon how indels were determined during multiple-alignment of nucleotides. The phylogenetic analyses rejected the monophyly of the Armophorea most of the time and consistently indicated that the Metopidae and Nyctotheridae were related to the Litostomatea. There was no consensus on the placement of the Caenomorphidae, which could be a sister group of the Metopidae + Nyctorheridae, or could have diverged at the base of the Spirotrichea branch or the Intramacronucleata tree.

In the present study, the coding region of the H gene was sequenced and analyzed in fourteen genera of New World primates (Alouatta, Aotus, Ateles, Brachyteles, Cacajao, Callicebus, Callithrix, Cebus, Chiropotes, Lagothrix, Leontopithecus, Pithecia, Saguinus, and Saimiri), in order to investigate the evolution of the gene. The analyses revealed that this coding region contains 1,101 nucleotides, with the exception of Brachyteles, the callitrichines (Callithrix, Leontopithecus, and Saguinus) and one species of Callicebus (moloch), in which one codon was deleted. In the primates studied, the high GC content (63%), the nonrandom distribution of codons and the low evolution rate of the gene (0.513 substitutions/site/MA in the order Primates) suggest the action of a purifying type of selective pressure, confirmed by the Z-test. Our analyses did not identify mutations equivalent to those responsible for the H-deficient phenotypes found in humans, nor any other alteration that might explain the lack of expression of the gene in the erythrocytes of Neotropical monkeys. The phylogenetic trees obtained for the H gene and the distance matrix data suggest the occurrence of divergent evolution in the primates.

O aumento da produtividade e qualidade dos produtos animais vem se tornando de grande interesse econômico. A prolactina (PRL) é um hormônio essencial para o sucesso reprodutivo e seu receptor (RPRL) tem sido detectado em vários tecidos². O gene RPRL foi recentemente mapeado em suínos no cromossomo 16(6). Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar a frequência genotípica do RPRL em três diferentes raças de suíno, Landrace, Large White e Pietrain e correlacionar os genótipos com características de interesse. Foram analisados um total de 124 animais. O DNA foi extraído de sangue total suíno e submetido a técnica de PCR-RFLP, para determinação do genótipo do gene do receptor da prolactina. As análises estatísticas mostraram que o genótipo RPRL teve efeito sobre peso médio diário na raça Landrace (p<0,0135). As médias de DEPGMD na raça Landrace também foram diferentes em relação ao genótipo (p< 0,0610), confirmando a análise dos dados reais de Ganho de Peso Médio Diário. Métodos de seleção assistida por marcadores, juntamente com métodos de seleção tradicional poderão ser utilizados para potencializar e acelerar o melhoramento de características de interesse econômico em suínos, onde o gene do receptor de prolactina (RPRL) poderá ser utilizado como um marcador molecular para o ganho de peso médio diário real e sua DEP.

The productivity and quality increase of the animal products is coming to be of big economic interest. The prolactin (PRL) is an essencial hormone for the reproductive sucess and its receptor (PRLR) has been detected in several tissues (Kelly et al., 1991). The PRLR gene has been recently mapped to pig chromosome 16 (Vincent et al., 1997).This research was aimed at analyzing the PRLR genotypical frequency in three different swine races, Landrace, Large White and Pietrain and correlate the genotypes with characteristics of economic interest. It was analyzed 124 animals. The DNA was extracted from the pig blood and submited to PCR-RFLP technique, to the genotypes determination of the prolactin receptor gene. The statistics analysis showed that the PRLR genotypes had an effect on the daily average weight of the Landrace race (p<0,0135). The averages of EDP (Expected Difference of Progeny) in daily average weight of the Landrace race were also different in relation to the genotypes (p<0.0610), confirming the real data analysis of daily average weight increase. Attended selection methods by markers, together with traditional seletion methods can be used to increase and accelerate the improvement of economic interest characteristics in pigs, while the prolactin receptor gene (PRLR) can be used as a molecular marker for the real daily average weight increase and its EDP.